


Please Explore My Love's Endurance (And Stay)

by whatsyeroffer



Series: Agent Reign Prompts [7]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Mind Control, fluff too, murder and all of that worldkiller jazz, slobbery drunk kisses but not what you expect, uhhh maybe a little graphic at parts, worldkiller!Alex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-30 01:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13939653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatsyeroffer/pseuds/whatsyeroffer
Summary: After Alex tries to help Sam figure out the cause of her blackout, the agent recruits Lena to brainstorm with the DEO on how to contain the Worldkillers. Meanwhile, Alex realizes her feelings for Sam and Sam finally makes a move.Then Sam goes missing, Lena is used as bait, and Alex gets kidnapped.The four Worldkillers- Reign, Purity, Death, and Pestilence- are ready to throw down some Justice.--Prompt: Reign turns Alex into a villain.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got this prompt a while ago and have been mulling it over. Then Friday night I had this huge breakthrough and well... Here it is. Unfortunately, I did kinda screw up the timeline. For some reason I got Both Sides Now and For Good switched around so. Lol, keep that in mind. They captured Purity, she escaped, Lena doesn't know about Sam's problems... Yeah. Sorry.
> 
> Also, this is my first time using present tense to tell a fic this long (it's also my longest one-shot woo!), so let me know if it worked.

Alex and Winn are attempting to build a cell to hold the Worldkillers once they’re able to capture them and it’s going about as well as expected.

“But if they’re not effected by Kryptonite.” Winn groans and purposefully smacks his forehead against the desk in front of him.

She’s standing next to him with her arms crossed. Her fingers drum fitfully on her bicep as she reasons, “We need to genetically engineer it, but it’ll be dangerous to Kara…”

“And what if some _other_ evil bad guy gets their hands on it?”

“Or what if it’s not strong enough…” Alex nods along when Winn groans in frustration again. “I don’t know how we’re going to do this.”

“We need another brain.” Winn picks his head up and flashes a smile at Alex and jokes, “What about Lillian?”

Alex laughs, then her fingers still. Maybe they _could_ use a Luthor. “Or Lena…”

Winn’s mouth falls open just a bit and then he beams, “It’s about time she became part of the Supersquad.”

She levels a glare at him, delighting in his small shift backwards. “Yeah, we trust her, but she doesn’t know about Kara so-“

He made a motion like he was zipping his lips; the exuberant way he flung the imaginary zipper over his shoulder almost made Alex crack a smile. “Kara isn’t Supergirl. Got it.”

Knowing she’s short on time, she looks at her watch. She only has half an hour to get to L-Corp to meet Sam. She’s already called in favors at the hospital up in Seattle where she used to work and they agreed to help her out with Sam’s diagnosis. She just needed to give them blood samples and send them the MRI scans.

“Get J’onn’s okay and then call her in for a brainstorming session tomorrow.”

“Sure thing.” He’s typing away when Alex turns to leave. He calls out, “Wait. Where are you going?”

“I gotta be somewhere.” Alex answers vaguely. She doesn’t want to betray Sam’s trust by blabbing to Winn that something might be wrong with her. “I’ll see you and Lena tomorrow.”

Winn scoffs playfully, “Bye then.”

* * *

They’re all at Kara’s when Alex calls to get Sam’s results back from the lab. They verify what Alex knew: Sam is healthy and there is nothing physically wrong with her. The confirmation is a relief all the same.

Her new friend with the smart kid is _okay_ and the worry that weighs heavy on her shoulders melts away.

Since Sam had approached her with her concerns, Alex had become _so_ invested in the woman. They were close before, but now she feels protective of Sam, of Ruby (especially after Sam chose to share her greatest fear) and it’s so _amazing_ to know that Sam is alright.

Alex lets out a sigh and sits on the footstool by the coffee table.

Sam is worried, _anxious_ , and Alex gives her the update. Kara and Lena both brighten, but Sam is shaking her head. “It’s just… I mean, if it’s nothing, then what’s happening to me?”

“We’ll figure it out, okay? I promise.” Though Alex doesn’t know _how_ they’ll diagnose Sam’s problem, seeing as all the test results came back clear. It’s troubling, still she gives Sam an encouraging smile. “But, for right now, just take the good news.”

“Alex is right.” Lena murmurs.

Sam chews on her bottom lip, “Yeah, no. I know.”

Alex squeezes her hands together, wanting to reach out to comfort the woman. Part of her wishes she had another lollipop, if only to see Sam smile again. “I’ll figure it out.”

The Luthor is quick to add, “We all will.”

There’s no way the CFO is going to go through this alone.

 Sam sighs and puts a hand on Lena’s knee and then Kara’s. “I don’t know how I lived my life without you guys. Thank you.” She looks at Alex and gives her a small smile.

Under her grateful, soft gaze Alex feels her insides flutter. A warmth floods through her chest and Alex realizes it’s more than protectiveness that she feels for Sam.

_Oh._

She can trace the origin of _those_ feelings back to Kara’s Christmas party. She had ignored the quiet stirring then and the more they hung out, Alex had become used to it. Now she _recognizes_ what it was, what it is… She has a hopeless crush on Sam.

It’s a bit distressing and Alex looks away first.

“I think this calls for a celebration.” Lena says, patting Sam’s shoulder.

Alex regards the three again and _oh no._ She thinks it’s cute how Sam’s eyebrow is quirked up in incredulity at her friend. “A celebration?”

Lena is amused as she corrects herself, “An excuse to drink then.”

Alex huffs out a laugh.

“Isn’t drinking bad for your memory?” Kara teases, looking at Alex to back her up.

She shrugs. If she were in Sam’s shoes, she’d be wanting to drink too.

And Sam smiles at her again before saying, “Screw it.” The CFO tugs Kara and Lena to their feet. “I just have to pick up Ruby from Tess’s and then it’s girl’s night at my place.”

Kara and Lena flank either side of Sam and Alex is happy that they’re all there for each other. Alex doesn’t know if that plan includes her; there’s an odd stab of something like envy, but she shoves that away. Alex knows that Sam needs to hang out with her daughter, drink with her best friends, and just have a carefree night.

She taps her hands on her legs and stands, thinking she could probably go into work. She doesn’t expect Sam to put a hand on her shoulder. The casual touch burns through Alex’s sweater and she looks to make sure there isn’t an actual fire under Sam’s palm, then glances up at the woman.

“You’ll be there too, right?”

Alex smiles, “Yeah, of course.”

\--

With girl’s night about to begin, Ruby is sitting on Sam’s lap with Sam’s arms around her. Kara takes a spot on one of the adjacent couches as Alex settles in between Sam and Lena. Giving the mother and daughter more time together, Lena puts a hand on Alex’s arm.

“Because of my family’s fascination with building battle suits to fight Superman and Supergirl, I swore I would never even touch Kryptonite.” Lena says and Alex almost feels bad about asking the Luthor for help on the DEO project, then the CEO grins. “But I must say, I’m rather looking forward to the opportunity.”

Alex chuckles, “Developing a stronger synthetic Kryptonite is something I never thought I’d be doing either.”

Lena’s hand slides from her arm and she reaches for her glass of whiskey. “How does Supergirl feel about that?”

Alex can feel her sister glaring at her, probably wondering why she wasn’t told about Lena helping out. “Well it’s to take down the Worldkillers, so she’s not complaining.”

She feels Sam stiffen beside her and looks over. Sam’s frown suggests that maybe they shouldn’t be talking about the villains in front of Ruby, though the kid is mostly asleep with her head on Sam’s shoulder. Alex clears her throat and shoots Lena a look as Sam hugs her daughter again.

“Okay baby, it’s time for you to go to sleep.” Sam says as she pats her daughter’s thigh; Ruby grumbles but complies. Sam presses a kiss to her forehead, “Good night, Rubes. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.” Ruby sleepwalks away, trudging up the stairs.

Alex offers Sam her glass of whiskey and Sam’s hand cups hers as she accepts the drink. Alex notices the way Sam shifts closer and she feels her heart rate spike when the woman casually rests her arm along the back of the couch behind Alex.

Then Lena says, “I’m also interested in how high tech your lab is.”

Alex forces her attention back to Lena. “You’re gonna love it.” She teases.

Sam’s fingers fall on Alex’s shoulder and pulls her into her side. The gesture, the _strength_ , surprises her. She hopes the blush crawling over her cheeks isn’t too noticeable and she tries not to read into it too much.

“You two can nerd out later.” Sam says, lifting the glass to drain the alcohol.

Kara nods in agreement, “Yeah, let’s talk about something _not_ serious tonight.”

“Are you worried, Kara?” Lena sounds upset that Kara might be scared of the supposed bringers of the destruction of the world.

Alex sees a dark look pass over her sister’s face. Guilt and self-hatred bubble up uncomfortably as she remembers how she couldn’t protect Kara from Reign last time…

Kara meets her eyes and she admits, “A little, but Supergirl and Alex can handle anything.”

And Alex grins. They really were the best team. She watches Lena scoot forward and hold out her hand for Kara, who takes it with a squeeze.

“And God knows I’ll do everything to help the DEO. We’ll keep you safe.”

_Gay._

She rolls her eyes at Kara’s blush and stammer. Those two need to just confess their feelings and date already…

Then Sam’s fingertip draws circles on Alex’s shoulder and Alex bites her lip at the tingle that runs down her arm.

Fuck. She’s in the same damn boat.

“Are you sure you don’t want to drink tonight, Alex?” Sam asks as Lena takes her glass and gets up to pour some refills.

Alex shakes her head. “Oh no, I’m good. Thank you though.”

She wants to drink, of course, but she also wants to observe Sam for any signs or symptoms. The woman had said that most of her blackouts tend to happen at night. If Alex doesn’t drink, she thinks she has a better chance of noticing if Sam’s blackouts show any visible tells, like a twitch or a far-off look. So far though, Sam was perfectly normal.

 --

The hours pass quickly somehow. Alex is starting to wonder what exactly would _trigger_ Sam’s lapses in memory because they’ve spent the entire day together and Sam seemed fine.

Healthy. Cognizant.

Well, Sam isn’t thinking as clearly anymore because of the alcohol. Normally Alex isn’t a fan of staying sober when others are drinking, but Lena and Sam being drunk together had been _hilarious_ to listen to.

But Lena and Kara are taking their leave as the day ends. Sam hugs Lena goodbye, swaying them in place.

“I love you, Lena. Thank you for being my very best friend.”

Alex _swears_ the Luthor sniffles.

“Thank you, Sam. I love you too.”

Kara is barely holding back her giggles and Alex covers her mouth to contain her own laughter. The two friends finally step away and Sam knocks into Alex, holding her by her waist.

Drunk Sam is a very affectionate Sam, Alex learns.

“Drive safe, Kara.” Sam says, pointing her finger at her.

“Of course,” The blonde smiles, “Good night you two,” and she guides Lena out of the house.

Alex locks up behind them and feels Sam’s arm slip from around her. She misses the contact but berates herself. Sam is just drunk and emotional from the good news. She’s just being extra friendly and _god damn,_ Alex doesn’t even know if Sam is gay.

So Alex shouldn’t be hoping that any of this means something. She _should_ however, be a little worried about Sam.

The CFO leans against the wall by the door and rests a hand on her forehead. “Oh wow.”

“Finally feeling it?” Alex snickers, but concern laces her question.

Sam nods, “I haven’t drank like that in a while. I’m about to fall asleep.”

“We’ve had a long day.” She reminds her as she reaches up to cup Sam’s shoulder and tries to lead her towards the bedroom so the woman can get some sleep. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

“I like the sound of that.” Sam teases, her voice dipping low.

Alex blushes and she pulls her hand away. “I didn’t-“ She laughs at her poor word choice, “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

Sam smiles and laughs and Alex shakes her head. They make it to Sam’s bedroom and Alex pushes the woman into the bathroom and tells her to brush her teeth. The agent goes into the living room to clean up some of the mess. As she grabs her car keys, Sam exits the bedroom in a tank top and shorts that show off her long, beautiful legs.

“You’re leaving?”

Alex nods, “Yeah, I didn’t drink and it’s getting kinda late.” Even from across the room, she sees disappointment flash in Sam’s eyes. “Get some rest.”

“Yeah, I need to.” Sam sighs, but doesn’t move when Alex starts towards the door. The agent stops when Sam asks her, “Can you stay?” She turns and Sam adds on, “It’s just, I’m still worried.”

Alex gives her a sympathetic smile and her heart aches for the woman. She walks back to the living room and puts her keys on the table. If Sam wants her to stay, she’ll stay. She plops down on the couch, but Sam is looking at her expectantly.

Her ears burn when she thinks that maybe Sam wants her to _spend the night_.

So she deflects with a joke, “Want me to tuck you in or something?”

Sam laughs, “Would you?”

“You’re so drunk,” She shakes her head in amusement. She’s playfully exasperated as she answers, ”Yeah. Come on.”

The CFO slides into bed before Alex is even in the room. Sam looks _smug_ as Alex tucks the covers under Sam’s feet, her legs, then her sides. “There.” Alex snorts.

She turns away, but Sam grabs her wrist. “Kiss me goodnight?”

The request is completely unexpected and Alex freezes though her heart pounds. She _must’ve_ heard Sam wrong, “What?” She breathlessly laughs because she doesn’t know what else to do.

But Sam looks up at her, eyes dancing. “Kiss me goodnight?” She repeats.

Alex _hadn’t_ heard wrong then… Warmth and giddiness flood through her chest. Does that mean that Sam likes her?

Then she remembers that Sam is feeling vulnerable because of her mysterious illness. More importantly, Sam is _drunk._

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sam.” She wants to kiss her, but only if it means something. Sam is crestfallen and Alex sighs. She presses a kiss to Sam’s cheek- the best she would give her right now. She smiles and _hopes_ they can talk about this in the morning.

There’s a slight up-quirk on the corner of Sam’s mouth as the woman lifts a hand and kisses two fingers and presses the wet digits against Alex’s lips. “G’night.” Sam shifts onto her side with her back to Alex.

Alex touches her lips, disbelieving. The bizarre kiss leaves her in a daze, but she says “Good night, Sam.”

She turns out the light and closes the door behind her. Settling onto the couch, her fingers trace over her lips again.

* * *

Alex wakes up too early the next morning. Her internal clock never let her sleep in and apparently staying up all night overanalyzing her feelings for Sam didn’t grant her an exception. She tries to just lay on the couch until the other woman stumbles in, but she sits up a couple minutes later.

She goes into the kitchen to make coffee for them, for whenever Sam wakes up anyway. It’s strange, moving around the unfamiliar house. She leans against the countertop and listens to the coffee drip, waiting. She glances at her watch, deciding to wait until 7 to try to wake Sam up. That would give them time to talk and time for Alex to drive to work to meet Winn and Lena at 8.

She sips her coffee and the awkwardness reminds her of long-ago sleepovers with Vicky. Even back then she was an early riser. Though, unsurprisingly, she often stayed awake in bed and waited for her friend to wake up.

When 7 rolls around, Alex sets her empty mug of coffee in the sink. She walks towards the bedroom and knocks on Sam’s door.

But there’s no answer.

Alex chuckles, thinking how Sam must be knocked out and hungover.

She knocks again and waits before opening the door a crack.

The bed is empty.

“Sam?” Alex frowns and pushes the door open more, looking around the room. The bathroom door is ajar but the light isn’t on. She’s been ditched in Sam’s house…

_Where the hell…_

Her eyes widen when she realizes that Sam must be having one of her blackouts. How had Sam’s sleepwalking not woken Alex up?

Alex walks into the living room and grabs her phone. There are no messages, but she tries to call Sam. The line rings once and then she hears Sam’s phone buzzing on the dining room table. Concern grows as she remembers the woman telling her that she never remembered where she went or what she did.

The agent isn’t sure if she should stay there and wait for Sam to show up or if she should head over to the DEO and send out an APB.

The second option sounds better until she remembers that Ruby is upstairs. She can’t just _leave_ the poor kid.

At a loss, Alex calls Lena. Maybe she’s just worrying for nothing and Sam went to work? She spots Sam’s car keys on the hook by the door and there goes that fragile hope.

Luckily the Luthor picks up, “Agent Danvers, how are you? I should be arriving momentarily.” She sounds far too chipper for someone who should be _way_ hungover.

“Hey Lena,” Alex scrubs her face, “Is Sam with you?”

“No… Why? Is she not at home?”

Alex sighs. “It must be one of her blackouts. Her car is here and she left her phone.”

“Do you think she’s alright?”

“I hope so.” She worries her bottom lip. “I don’t even know how she snuck out past me.”

There’s a pause before Lena says, “We’ll find her, Agent. I wonder if we should keep her in isolation to observe any abnormalities in her sleep pattern.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” But there’s no telling when Sam would show up or when they would find her. “I’ll leave a note for Sam to call us and I’ll just bring Ruby to the DEO with me.”

“Okay. In the meantime, I’ll call L-Corp to have them notify me if Sam is in the office.”

“Alright, see you soon Lena.”

“Bye, Alex.”

Alex hangs up and feels a headache forming. She sends a text to J’onn to warn him that Ruby will be joining her at work. J’onn knows that she would never bring a child civilian into the DEO unless there were no other options, but she hates that his responding text contains only three emojis- a sheet of paper, several folders, and a stack of books.

Yeah, she’ll be filling out the breach of security forms. In _triplicate._

She runs a hand through her hair, starting towards the stairs. She’ll have to make up an excuse for Sam’s disappearance; she doesn’t want Ruby to worry. Though she has a feeling the kid is more aware than Sam thinks.

Alex climbs the stairs and knocks on Ruby’s open bedroom door. The pre-teen is sleeping soundly and Alex feels bad that she’s gonna have to wake her up this early on a weekend.

She knocks again and calls out, “Hey, Ruby?”

The kid stirs so Alex tries again, “Ruby. Wake up, kiddo.”

This time Ruby opens her eyes, looking groggy and confused. “Alex?”

“Yeah, hey, good morning.” Alex says with a smile, “Sam said there was something at work she had to deal with. So she wanted me to look after you today. I was gonna take you to work with me, Lena will be there and you can hang out with us.”

“What?” Ruby sits up and rubs at her eyes. “But Mom isn’t supposed to work today.”

“She got an emergency call.” She lies.

Ruby pouts and Alex hates the unhappiness that is plain on the kid’s face. “But we were supposed to go to the lake today…”

Alex leans against the door. “I’m sorry, Ruby. Sam was upset she had to miss hanging out with you too.” Another lie, though she has a feeling that Sam _will_ be upset when she wakes up from her blackout.

Ruby nods and sighs and starts to climb out of bed.

“Get dressed. I’ll pick us up some breakfast on our way into town.”

The kid seems a little more cheered up at the promise of food and Alex heads back downstairs.

She’s glad she had decided to take her car to the Arias house last night. Sam would probably kill her if she had to drive Ruby to the DEO on her Ducati. Alex waits in the living room, texting Kara to be on the lookout for Sam.

A couple minutes later, Ruby stomps down the stairs. “Okay, I’m ready.” She sounds more awake, _excited_ even. “Will Supergirl be there?”

Alex laughs, “I can call her to come in.”

Ruby beams at her.

They lock up the house and drive to the DEO, stopping to get Ruby breakfast and Alex even indulges in another cup of coffee. They eat and sing and Alex is glad that Ruby doesn’t seem too upset about her mom flaking.

They walk into the DEO and J’onn rounds the corner. “The paperwork is waiting on your desk.”

“Thanks,” Alex mutters. She is _not_ looking forward to that.

Ruby looks all around the building with wide eyes, mouth parted in amazement at the strange building. J’onn gives Ruby an odd look and Alex raises an eyebrow.

He shakes his head, “Winn is waiting by your lab. He couldn’t hack into the room.”

Alex’s lips curl into a smug smile. “I knew he’d try it.”

“I’ll escort Lena up when she arrives.”

“She’s not here yet?” Alex puts a hand on Ruby’s shoulder and steers them up the stairs and towards her lab with J’onn in step beside her.

“Is Supergirl here?” Ruby asks, almost bouncing up the steps.

“I don’t think so,” Alex answers before whispering conspiratorially. “Don’t tell the bad guys, but she likes to sleep in.” She feels a surge of pride when Ruby giggles at her joke.

Winn has his arms crossed over his chest as they approach Alex’s lab. “You, Miss Danvers, are incredible.”

Alex lifts up a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Yeah, I know.” She enters the 12-digit passcode and the lab unlocks.

“Oh and hey!” Winn brightens and crouches a bit, “What’s up, Ruby?” He holds out his hand for a high-five and Ruby slaps her palm against his. “Staying out of trouble?”

“No,” The kid answers with a laugh. She bounds into the lab behind Alex but then makes a beeline to sit on one of the stools in front of a work bench. She turns and spins herself until Alex chuckles at her.

J’onn is smiling too. “Keep me updated on your progress.” He tells the two agents as he turns to leave.

“Roger dodger.” Winn salutes and Alex fights the urge to smack him over the head. “Hey, have you heard from Lena?”

“I talked to her this morning. She should be here by now.” Alex frowns, pulling her phone out. Still no messages.

That’s when Ruby gasps. Alex looks up and grins.

Supergirl is standing in the doorway of her lab, arms akimbo in her superhero pose. “Good morning.” Then Kara pretends to finally notice the squealing pre-teen. “And who is this? A super smart kid helping out Agent Danvers and Agent Schott?”

Ruby flies across the room to stand in front of her hero. “Oh my god! I can’t believe I’m in the same room as you! My name is Ruby Arias!”

“Well it’s nice to meet you, Ruby.” Supergirl opens her arms and Ruby _launches_ herself into the hug. “I see that you’re a fan.” She laughs out.

“Yeah! You’re so awesome! At school we had this play or musical or whatever where my class dressed up as you and-“

Alex lets them all nerd out as she calls Lena. It rings a couple times before the Luthor picks up.

“Hey Lena, I was just-“

 _“About time.”_ A strange voice answers.

A shiver runs up Alex’s spine as she recognizes who it is- _Purity_. She looks over and Kara has stopped joking around with the two and is listening in on the conversation.

_“The Luthor that dreams to be better but is doomed to fail is too tied up to talk to you right now.”_

She receives a text message. It’s a picture of Lena on the floor of some warehouse with a gag in her mouth, arms tied behind her back. Rage licks at Alex’s faux collected demeanor.

“What do you want?”

 _“Nothing.”_ Purity says. _“I just had to keep you from using that big brain of hers. Couldn’t cut it by yourself? Not smart enough?”_

Alex’s jaw clenches at the dig. “Don’t worry, Lena.” She talks around the villain, “Supergirl is on her way.” She assures with steel in her voice.

 _“Then who will stop Reign from leveling the business district?”_ The Worldkiller’s amused laugh rings out, _“Good luck.”_

Alex feels like throwing her phone across the room when the line goes dead. What the fuck are they playing at? It isn’t like them to play cat-and-mouse… Whatever they’re planning, it can’t be good.

“Winn, stay here with Ruby.”

“What? What’s going on?”

Alex ignores him to move and stand in front of Ruby. She puts her hands on the kid’s shoulders and squeezes, “Supergirl and I have to go kick some ass, but Winn is going to take care of you while I’m gone, okay?”

“You two are going to kick ass?” Alex can’t help but laugh at the curse word that falls from the kid’s mouth, she nods. Ruby grins at her then at Supergirl. “Cool.”

Kara and Alex storm out of the lab. They find J’onn in the control room, where the monitors are all flashing red. The view of downtown, only a couple blocks away, is all fire and smoke on the screens.

J’onn spots them and starts, “Reign is attacking-“

“The business district.” Alex finishes. “Yeah and Purity kidnapped Lena too.”

J’onn growls at the news. His hand rubs at his forehead as he says, “Divide and conquer. What are they planning?”

“I don’t know,” Alex answers at the same time Kara says, “We have to find Lena before they kill her.”

“We will. Vasquez,” He barks, “Get me a location on the other Worldkiller.”

“Yes sir.”

Alex watches the satellites try to locate the Kryptonian’s unique heat signature. She shakes her head at J’onn because even if they _do_ find them, “We don’t have anything developed to fight Reign or capture Purity.”

“We’ll just have to use what we have.” But he doesn’t sound thrilled at that.

She glances at her sister and her stomach flips at the determined scowl on her face. Kara’s forehead crinkle is deep, “I’m going to stop Reign.”

Alex latches onto Kara’s arm, “No. J’onn and I can distract her until you save Lena from Purity.”

“I’m not letting you fight her alone again.” Kara glares.

And Alex feels the same way. Her stomach flips at the memory of blood trickling down Kara’s forehead, how useless Alex had felt while she was in a coma… There is no way Alex is going to let her baby sister get hurt by that maniac again. “Go rescue Lena first.”

This time Kara doesn’t argue. “Fine.”

She pulls Kara into a hug. “Good luck, stay safe.”

“You too.” Kara mumbles into Alex’s shoulder. “As soon as I get Lena somewhere safe, we’re taking down Reign. Once and for all.”

J’onn interrupts their moment too soon. “Supergirl, take the disrupters if you’re fighting Purity. Danvers, suit up. We’re moving out in two.”

Alex races away as J’onn proceeds to call in the Alpha and Delta team. Her knee twinges and aches after the jog, a reminder of the damage caused by Reign the last time they had faced off. She suits up and straps on her gear.

When she hears glass shattering outside, no doubt Kara taking off to rescue her friend, fear chills her blood. She’s scared for her sister, she’s scared for Lena.

She stashes a couple Kryptonite grenades and tries to push aside the anxiety of Kara fighting Purity _alone_. She makes one last stop in her lab to grab the second (and last) Kryptonite injection; the room is eerily quiet.

She hopes that Winn and Ruby had taken shelter in one of the safe rooms. She could never forgive herself if something bad happened to Ruby while she was here at the DEO. She thinks of Sam, wandering god knows where, and _hopes_ the woman is okay.

She runs down the stairs and joins J’onn and the troops. She fits her helmet on her head, ready to give Reign hell.

\--

When they arrive downtown, Reign is standing, waiting, in the middle of the chaos. A building burns behind her and there is blood splattered on the broken sidewalk.

Apprehension and _rage_ pulses through Alex’s veins. J’onn stops the car and Alex moves to find cover. Alpha and Delta team spread out, securing strategic points, but Reign’s only focus seems to be on Alex and J’onn.

Which was _great_ by Alex.

Reign starts towards them and the DEO agent lobs one of the Kryptonite grenades. It lands at the Worldkiller’s feet, exploding a second later. The blast knocks Reign back, and Alex is _astounded_ when the villain recovers.

Scratches litter the Worldkiller’s battle suit, the skin beneath is red and raw but not bleeding.

 _Damn_.

Alex growls at Reign’s unimpressed huff.

“You cannot stop me. This world will _burn_ under my feet.”

Reign superspeeds over and kicks one of the DEO vehicles. It flies, rolling towards where half of the Delta team had gone, crashes into a concrete barrier and explodes. Even from under her helmet, Alex smells the charred flesh of her fellow agents.

Alex grips her gun with one hand while the other stays poised, ready to snatch the other Kryptonite grenade. Reign turns to their crouched figures, but J’onn is the one that dashes forward.

With Reign distracted, Alex yells into the comms. “Alpha and Delta team! Move! Find alternate cover and be prepared to light her up.”

As they search for the high ground, Reign and J’onn take off into the sky. J’onn has the advantage of teleportation, but his blows only seem to bounce off of her. She needs to be weakened more. Alex pulls the tranquilizer gun, loaded with the Kryptonite injection, out of her holster and aims.

Their figures are a blur up in the sky, but even so, “J’onn, I need her closer. She’s out of range.”

The Martian teleports again, using the momentum to land a kick to Reign’s shoulder and she plummets to the sidewalk. With a clear shot, Alex fires.

The dart lands in Reign’s midsection and she seizes in shock; she yells in pain as the Kryptonite invades and weakens her.

Alex drops the empty gun on the ground, letting it clatter at her feet. “Cover me!” And without any hesitation, she runs over to the dazed Kryptonian.

J’onn descends from the sky, holding out a pair of Kryptonite cuffs. Alex thinks that maybe Reign was vulnerable enough now, but-

She turns back and the Worldkiller’s eyes glow red.

Well. At least they’re not blue… Alex grimaces at the unhelpful observation, but at least she weakened Reign _a little_. Still, she doesn’t stop; she’s ready to duck and drop. She doesn’t expect J’onn to swoop in front of her, but Reign does.

Reign aims at his approaching figure and the heat vision burns and erupts. J’onn grunts and slams into a building nearby. The use of her powers drains her more and it’s all too perfect.

Alex tosses her last grenade and dives into one of the craters in the concrete. Debris and rubble rains down on her, but she clambers to her feet and finally closes their distance as Reign is shakily standing.

“You are a thorn in my side.” Reign wipes the white dust from her arm and grabs the dart from where it was still sticking out of her stomach. She crushes it in her hand.

“I’m just getting started.” Alex promises.

There’s a gust of wind and J’onn tackles Reign. Alex manages to fit one of the cuffs on the Kryptonian’s wrist before Reign suplexs him into the ground.

 _Shit_.

Alex starts to retreat but Reign’s arm catches her, the steel grip is impossible to fight out of. She half expects for the Worldkiller to squeeze too hard and crush her spine. Instead Reign twists Alex in her arms and glares down at her. There’s a fucking _smirk_ on her dark lips and Alex has never been so pissed in her entire life, then-

She’s on the ground, body throbbing, and blackness swimming on the edge of her vision. She isn’t even sure _what_ happened, but the pain in her shoulder suggests Reign had merely shoved her away?

Funny how Reign is holding back… She could’ve killed Alex ten times by now…

Still, there is an undeniable _annoyance_ in Reign’s black eyes. Alex can only hope she caused that reaction somehow.

“Alpha team!” Alex growls as she scuttles backwards, ignoring the stabs of pain. “Code Green!” She orders their last Kryptonite grenade to be used.

The commanding agent hesitates, “Trap Leader?”

“Dammit! Code Green!” Alex is _well aware_ that the shrapnel might kill her too, but if it meant taking down Reign…

She watches the grenade soar over the Worldkiller’s head. Reign turns to regard it and Alex smirks just before the weapon detonates. The explosion knocks Reign down, she’s _kneeling_ , struggling.

Alex is worse off.

She squeezes her eyes shut, feeling like they could burst from behind her eyelids at any moment. Her ears roar loudly and her head swims. Her gloved hands rake down the side of her helmet as she knocks out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I split up the story for readability...

* * *

Seeing her target out cold and heart rate slowing, Reign regards the betrayers with no mercy. Wrath pounds in her skull and fuels her; fire feeding fire. Still kneeling, she takes hold of the loose piece of concrete in front of her. Parts of it crumble under her grasp, but she lifts up a decent chunk and then flings it.

The concrete has just enough velocity and durability that it takes out three of the support beams on the side of the building where the so-called Alpha team hid. The building shakes and sways and tumbles; like fleas, some of the humans jump and smack onto the ground.

That placates Reign and she looms over her target. She reaches to slide the covering off the human’s face and as the helmet falls away, the sun streams down- a divine sign, approving of her choice. She picks up the human and takes off into the air. Reign flies to the Fortress with only one thought echoing in her mind:

_Reign, Purity, and Death are united._

Almost to the sanctuary, Reign feels her control slipping. The Kryptonite has weakened her and the continuous exposure isn’t helping. She starts to lose altitude, much to her chagrin. She stops on the outskirts of the desert and lays her target down. She rips the restraint off of her wrist and tosses it into the dry sand.

She breathes in at the ease of _being_ again and stands tall, basking in the sun.

She observes the human and sees no more of the offending mineral. With her x-ray vision, she spots a piece of technology embedded under the human’s skin. Reign’s eyes glow red and she hits the tracker, melting it. Her target writhes for a bit, teeth clenching until she goes still again.

Reign’s eyes flick over the multitude of injuries on her target’s body. She knows the wounds will only make her stronger in the light of awakening.

Soon.

She hauls the human into her arms again and continues. The Fortress is not far. When Reign walks in, the Fate's projection greets her.

“Excellent work. You chose well.”

Reign nods and deposits the human onto the middle of the control panel. The woman is important to her foe, important to her human counterpart; with her gone, she _will_ reign. She turns back to the hologram.

“Pestilence will awaken when the transformation of Death is complete.”

Purity arrives moments later. The battle damage is clear and Reign snarls at how they have yet to best the troublesome superhero in National City.

“There is power in numbers.” The Fate reminds her.

And so there was.

* * *

Alex wakes up with a pounding headache. No wait, _shit_ , that might be a concussion… Her throat is dry, so she might be dehydrated. She takes inventory of the most obvious injuries: a dislocated shoulder, fractured radius, what feels like third degree burn…

She sits up, ignoring the pain. She grabs her elbow and prepares to pop her shoulder back in place when she sees the seared flesh where her tracker used to be. She is a doctor with a _strong_ stomach, but seeing her own skin peeled back, red and black and melted into her DEO uniform-

_Ugh._

She turns away and notices the two Worldkillers in front of a hologram. They seem preoccupied, whispering heatedly in Kryptonese that Alex is too out of it to try to translate. She sees a Lexo-suit propped up against the wall of the cave-

_Cave… Where the hell is she…_

She takes a breath through her mouth and the aridness, despite being in a cave, suggests that they must be somewhere out in the desert. Interesting choice of hideouts.

Ready to be die or be used as bait or whatever they have planned, Alex is tired of being ignored. She pops her shoulder back into place with a grunt of pain and the Worldkillers turn to face her.

Reign saunters over and Alex rolls off of the control panel and lands on her feet. Only for a moment. Her ears still ring and vertigo spins her universe until she lands on her knees with a groan. She’s unsteady as she stands with Reign in front of her in a second.

Reign pulls Alex to her feet, holds her hips to prevent her from escaping.

With the villain peering down at her, Alex glares up. “Why did you bring me to your fortress?”

“You are an asset.” Reign answers. Her voice is weird, mechanical with a hint of auto-tune, but somehow familiar.

Alex struggles against her hold again, “You might as well kill me.”

“No need.” The alien sneers.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

When Alex tries to squirm free, trying to kick off of Reign’s immovable legs, Reign’s grip on her hips tighten until Alex is sure the bone is about to snap. She grates her teeth but stays silent through the pain, finally surrendering.

Reign seems pleased. “Your attitude leaves a lot to be desired. However, you will be unstoppable as our equal. The humans that tempt my second self will fall at your feet.”

Alex doesn’t know what Reign is implying about her joining their side but… She tries to reach up to grab the edge of Reign’s mask. Reign stops her with a vice grip. Undeterred, Alex asks “Who are you then?”

“Are you referring to my human side?” Reign scoffs, “That constructed lie-“

“She’s more than that if you’ve held off on your destruction for this long, huh?”

The jab doesn’t set the Worldkiller off like Alex hopes. Reign seems indifferent, “I only awoke to fulfill my destiny. I was created to execute Justice and cleanse this filthy world.”

Alex sighs, exasperated at the same speech. “Yeah but who are you?” Reign narrows her eyes and Alex keeps her face carefully blank so she doesn’t look _too_ thrilled at finally having riled her up.

“You are in no position to demand my secrets.” Reign emphasizes her point with another squeeze of Alex’s hips.

This time, she cries out. When Reign relents, Alex says, “Supergirl _will_ find me.”

“She will.” Reign agrees.

And Alex’s confidence wavers. If she was being used as bait, why had they destroyed her tracker? She _hopes_ against logic that Kara will ignore her and just _stay alive_ until whatever event happens that makes the Worldkillers disappear, like Mon-El had unhelpfully explained.

Reign drags Alex in front of the hologram and Reign releases her wrist to stroke Alex’s cheek. There’s something about the touch that makes Alex’s skin _tingle_ , but her lip curls up in distain at the Worldkiller.

The cloaked woman regards her for a moment, “Welcome to your destiny, Worldkiller.”

“What?” Alex jerks back, but Reign’s hold keeps her there.

 _No, no._ She can’t be a Worldkiller. How is that possible? There’s no way she is going to _kill_ anyone.

“Death, you will walk alongside Reign, Purity, and Pestilence; each footfall of destruction bringing Justice to sinners.”

She shakes her head, “No,” repeats the word until Reign grabs her chin and forces her quiet.

Cold black eyes stare down into her and, again, _something_ nags her. There’s a pestering annoyance that she _knows_ those eyes, those hands, those purple lips… It isn’t until Alex breaks eye contact and gazes sideways that she notices how Reign’s hair, normally tight in a braid, is messy. It’s the lock of long, brown hair that catches in the light of the cave that makes Alex suck in a breath.

Her stomach drops, “ _Sam?_ ”

The way Reign’s grip on her arm constricts is as good as a verbal confirmation.

Heart breaking for her friend- _her crush_ , Alex feels like she’s in a dream. “Oh my god, Sam…” Reign turns to her, “Sam, I know you’re in there. Please.”

“You’re wasting your breath.” Reign shoots back.

It doesn’t stop Alex from trying; she had woken up _Julia_ before so why couldn’t she wake up _Sam_? “Come on, Sam. Think about Ruby. You can’t leave Ruby alone. You’ve gotta protect her.” And there is a flicker of red in Reign’s eyes, a frown accompanying. “Don’t leave her.”

Then the words slip, “Don’t leave me.”

Because as grim as her situation seems, she’s mourning the loss of all the things they would never get to do. She’s cursing herself for not talking to Sam when she had the chance. She should’ve kissed her last night… And now, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever get the opportunity again.

But just as she can _see_ Reign’s control slipping, Purity steps in. “She thinks her bond with Sam means enough that the human will awaken.” Her harsh laugh _reboots_ Reign and Alex is staring into black eyes once again.

Purity steps into her line of sight, taunting her. “You’re not as close as you thought.” With a cruel smile on her lips, she adds, “Or hoped.”

Alex can feel the lump in her throat forming.

Reign says. “Instead, you will devote your dedication to destruction and _me_.”

“Never.” She hisses.

The hologram interrupts, “It is time for the transformation to begin.”

Reign turns Alex to face the cloaked woman and presses on her shoulder until Alex falls on her knees. She glares up, defiant until the end.

The hologram is unimpressed.

There is a bright flash and she loses sight. Fear grips her heart, _squeezing_ , as the pain begins to roar in her head. A pressure builds on her brain and it’s almost as bad as Myriad, when her brain was _literally_ about to explode. Alex’s body convulses under the assault and she can feel the blood trickle out of her ears.

But that ache, comparable to a car driving over her skull, builds and builds until-

* * *

Death wakes mechanically with an uncomfortable presence screaming in the back of her mind.

Her Master’s voice cuts through, “Ignore her. You are Death, the Fourth Worldkiller.”

Death knows this. She feels it. Still, there is an emptiness where a third should be.

Then a calm.

“Pestilence has risen.” The Fate announces. “Guide her here, Purity.”

Her sister Worldkiller flies away to collect the other, leaving Death and Reign. Death stands, but her body is undeniably human; she is weak.

“Your strength derives from another source.” Reign points to the battle suit against the wall.

Death nods and approaches the man-made weaponized armor. She knows, instinctively, how it works and she climbs in. The metal shields her fragile skin. Reign keeps her distance from the green glowing substance that interlaces with the black armor.

Death tests her newfound strength by punching the side of the Fortress. The rock wall shatters and shakes and she nods.

Fate tells them, “Divine destruction can commence. The nearest city awaits your Judgement.”

A new coding shocks through her brain and she can see the coordinates dancing in front of her. She activates the suits alternate power and she and Reign fly to Las Vegas-   _Sin City_.

They land in the most populated part of the bright and bustling city; humans gawk as they wait for Pestilence and Purity to join them. When the two other Worldkillers stand at their side, Death feels _power_ , _energy_ , _righteousness_ course through her.

Reign addresses the crowd. “Your world ends with our Justice.”

Then they attack. Death breaks necks, rips souls, delivers the sinners into the light. Her human side fights for control and horror surges upward into Death’s consciousness with every fallen human.

But Death is persistent.

The city cracks and crumbles and _burns_. And when a male Kryptonian descends from the sky to fight them, he defends his disloyalty with Rao’s name. Reign nods at Death and Death accepts her assignment.

The battle suit is durable, tougher than Death previously thought as the Kryptonian’s punches barely leave a dent. Death retaliates much more unkindly. She’s on autopilot, feeding off of the knowledge of the Fate and her sister Worldkillers, but the strange voice in the back of her mind keeps screaming.

There is a moment, when the Kryptonian’s chest opens and bleeds, Death feels her control slip. Her fist is raised in the air, ready to deliver the final blow, but she can’t _move_.

She _knows_ this man, _knows_ that he shares Rao’s love with a mate, _knows_ that he’s been worshipped as a hero across the country.

But then again, she knows he abandoned his family and caused pain.

Death governs the body again and his blood wets her suit.

* * *

Days pass and the Fate commends the ruins they left behind. Terror and pitiful pleads echo from the epicenter of their first pass of Judgement and spreads like wildfire throughout this world. It pulses in Death’s brain.

She had stayed hidden in the Fortress so her battle suit could recharge until the Fate gathers them again.

“It’s time.”

Death knows their next target is National City. Once that damnable capital of sinners falls, the human’s world will be no more and chaos will reign. Then from the ashes, a pure existence.

The projection of their guide frowns. “They have made their final move sooner than anticipated.” Death is as surprised as Reign at the admission. “Purity, Pestilence. Beware the Luthor.”

Death’s chest constricts at the name. There is a stabbing in her brain as flashes of memories wash over her. She sees a stern woman, beautiful and bright with a glow around her.

The intrusive image fades quickly, replaced by new coordinates. She and Reign fly to the waterfront of the city, while Purity and Pestilence begin Judgement downtown. Death lands near the dark sea that is willing to cleanse the imminent offerings and Reign stays perched in the air.

Death knows how this battle will play out and she waits.

The sinners do not disappoint. Alarm shakes their conviction just as Fate and Reign predicted.

“Alex?!”

The human side of her yells and demands control, but Death bares her teeth. She corrects the female Kryptonian that had shouted. “I am Death.”

Reign lands on the other side of the group, yet the Kryptonian from the House of El cannot turn from Death. The Kryptonian looks lost.

There is a stinging that feels physical.

“Truth tells and shows no mercy.” Reign declares and then the fight begins.

Death launches into the group and chooses the weakest first. She has her hand around the Blue Man’s throat as a powerful grip on her arm tries to halt her. The metal of her suit gives as she twists his neck. His body falls and she turns to backhand the Daxamite.

With one arm useless now, she unsheathes the dagger strapped to her side and lunges, striking him in the torso. She kicks his midsection and pulls the weapon free from his flesh as he sails backwards. She twirls it in her hand as the next target is chosen for her.

 _Supergirl_.

Death can only take half of a step before the Kryptonian blows a cold breath at her feet, freezing her in her tracks.

“Alex! Alex! Wake up!” Supergirl pleads. “Alex!”

 _Kara_.

The meddling voice echoes in Death’s mind. Still, _she_ will not sympathize. She breaks the ice around her boots and continues.

She doesn’t expect the Martian to tap into her consciousness. Luckily, Fate intervenes. The Martian falls onto one knee, holding his temple. “She’s being controlled by _something_.”

“Alex!”

The desperation in the yell cuts through her and Death almost loses the grip on her dagger.

Then there is an explosion that rocks the entire city.

Death glances behind her and a black cloud of smoke glitters green above the skyline. Her stance is tired as she feels an aching pang where two of her sister Worldkillers should be. Even Reign is caught off guard.

Death turns back to her target and sees Supergirl cover her hand with her mouth. She hears her horrified whisper, “That was half of the city…”

Reign will soon be affected by the amount of Kryptonite particles in the air, so Death advances.

“Alex!” The Martian growls.

_J’onn._

But Death is upon them, dagger at the ready. Her next step falters when Supergirl slips to the ground with a hand on her chest.

“It’s in the air, J’onn, I-“

J’onn puts a hand on Kara’s shoulder and steps in front of her, protective but accepting. Death pushes her human side down and regains movement of her feet.

“Alex! Please! Wake up! I need you to fight it! I need you on my side!”

Death shakes at the emotional agony. Her consciousness withers away and she loses control one last time.

* * *

Alex drops the knife and puts a hand to her head. She can’t remember anything, _hell_. She doesn’t even know how she’s standing. She blinks until the fog clears and she realizes she’s in the middle of some battle.

“Death! You abandoned me!” Reign sounds betrayed.

Alex smiles wryly, she knows the feeling.

She sees Kara, the Kryptonite dust, and then Reign stalking towards her.

 _Sam_.

It all comes back in a flood. The air is forced from her lungs like a punch to the gut as she remembers _Sam_ and _Reign._ Bile rises as she relives veiled memories of _Death_. It feels so unforgivable- what she did, what she has to do now. Alex looks down at the Lexo-suit and then at _Sam_ ; she eyes the dark water next to them and her heart breaks all over again.

J’onn must’ve read her mind. “Alex! Don’t!”

But Reign is weak. Kara is weak. Alex is weaker as she hopes this will be the last thing she does.

Alex runs forward, determined to end it. Each step, a purpose: Protecting Kara. Saving Sam. Protecting Ruby. Saving Lena. Protecting the city.

She tackles Reign and the suit is strong but the synthetic Kryptonite makes her stronger. They tumble backwards and Reign struggles, but Alex wraps her arms around _Sam_ and pushes forward until they hit the fence of the waterfront.

“I’m sorry, Sam.” The barrier breaks and they plunge into the cold water.

Temperature shock alone almost causes Alex to let go, to black out, but she hugs Sam to keep Reign’s arms caged at her side. Reign’s mask floats upward with her thrashing and Alex studies _Sam’s_ face beyond the air bubbles around them.

Her lungs burn as they sink deeper. She’s already drowned once and it’s as horrible as the last time. Sam’s eyes close at the same time Alex’s fall shut.

But then there’s a dull splash reverberating in the water. A hand jerks her away from Sam and she’s shoved towards the surface. Alex feels her brain crashing but she fights, like she always does.

Her chest is on _fire_ and everything slows. The battle suit is too heavy and her weak kicks aren’t affording her any progress. As the surface taunts her, Kara swims into view.

Despite the Kryptonite, Kara pulls Alex above the water. Alex gasps and heaves and nearly vomits as oxygen returns to her lungs and blood and brain. Kara somehow slogs them over to the platform on the waterfront and another body pulls her onto the concrete.

She’s shivering, but wants to crawl to Kara across the platform where another agent is holding her back from jumping in again. They try to fit an oxygen mask on the Kryptonian but she’s only focused on the waves.

Alex moves to the edge without thinking. “Agent Danvers, lay down.” She shrugs off the hand on her shoulder and turns onto her side and watches the water. Her eyes prickle and sting as the minutes pass.

When J’onn resurfaces holding _Sam’s_ lifeless body, a sob tears through Alex’s chest. Her father figure deposits Sam onto the platform and she is by Sam’s side. She uses all of her strength to start compressions. One arm is broken and water drips into her eyes and her hands slip over Sam’s sternum, but all she needs is Sam’s heart beating again.

Each compression is desperate. “Please, Sam.” Alex huffs with the effort, with the overwhelming emotions. “You can’t do this to me.”

She can’t believe she never got the chance to tell Sam how she felt.

“Please, you can’t die now.”

Not when they haven’t been on a date. Not when _Ruby_ is at home waiting for her mom. Not when Sam had so much to live for.

Nevermind that they are dripping in seawater, Alex yells. “Get me a defibrillator!”

“Alex,” J’onn puts a hand on her shoulder.

She takes his gentle tone as an order to give up on Sam. Alex doesn’t stop. At every rough compression, water sloshes out of Sam’s mouth and Alex _can’t_ just leave her dead.

“Sam is innocent.” Alex says through clenched teeth. “If we revive her, you can wipe her mind and she’ll be okay. She’ll-“

Alex knows she’s in shock and that makes it easy for J’onn to pull her back away from _Sam_ and into his chest.

“We’ll do all we can, Alex.” J’onn guarantees.

And Alex wants to stay awake to bring Sam back, but she’s exerted herself too far. The waves crash behind them, sirens wail through the city, and Alex is exhausted enough to fall unconscious in J’onn’s hold.

* * *

It hurts, mentally and physically, to wake up.

“Alex?”

Alex groans as the hand on her grip becomes painfully tight. “Ease up, Kara.” Her voice is hoarse.

Her eyes open, eyelids fluttering at the bright light, but she sees Kara still in her Supersuit and it becomes easier.

“Are you okay?” Alex asks, hoping the air filters at the DEO are enough to keep the Kryptonite particles from seeping in.

Kara scoffs, “Yes. Are you okay, dummy?”

There’s a cast on her arm, an IV in her veins, and her sister crying over her. She was mind-controlled, killed a city, and killed Sam. How could she be okay?

“No,” She sighs.

Alex expects her to swat her arm or something for her near-suicidal actions, but Kara keeps holding her hand too hard.

“I was so scared, Alex. You disappeared for _days_ and I couldn’t find you.” Kara bites her trembling bottom lip, “I thought I had lost my sister.”

“Hey,” Alex lifts her broken arm and manages to stroke her thumb over the trail of tears on Kara’s cheek. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not going anywhere.”

Kara nods and sniffles. “Then you showed up in Lillian’s suit and you weren’t _you.”_

“But you brought me back.”

“I wish I had found you sooner.”

Alex closes her eyes at the pain lacing Kara’s quiet words. Regret and guilt swirl in her painfully empty stomach, but she meets her sister’s eyes again. “I’m here.”

Despite the water clogging her ears, she hears another monitor beeping in the room and she tears her gaze away from Kara. When she spots Sam’s prone figure on the bed next to her, Alex would’ve fallen out of the bed if not for Kara’s hold.

Alex _does_ try to scramble up. Her body protests, pain shoots from _everywhere_ , but she’s too relieved to care. “Sam!”

“Alex, wait, you can’t-“

“Help me up,” Alex demands, feebly fighting Kara’s secure hand on her shoulder. She squirms until her sister sighs in annoyance.

Kara grabs the IV stand for Alex to grab and helps her up. Alex leans on Kara so much that the Kryptonian is walking for the both of them.

She’s out of breath from the short walk, but her hands land on Sam’s bed for support as she gazes down at the woman. She feels Kara hug her from behind, but Alex’s eyes sweep over Sam’s beautiful face; she notices the purple tint on her lips and it’s hard to say if it’s from Reign’s makeup or the cold ocean…

Though still hazy, Alex looks up to study the monitors. She’s fearing the worst, but the tightness in her chest eases up when she sees that Sam’s vitals are stable and, _thank god_ , her brain activity is normal.

“Oh my god, thank fuck she’s okay…” She feels like she can finally _breathe_ now that she knows she didn’t kill Sam, knows that she didn’t take Ruby’s only family away from the kid.

Tears escape from her eyes and a relieved sob builds in her chest that she has to choke down. She clears her throat, “Kara, can I have a minute?”

“But Alex, you need to rest. I’ll go get the doctor and tell them you’re awake-“

“I’m fine.” But she can feel her composure cracking.

Kara kisses her shoulder blade before letting go. “Hey,” She whispers, “I know you’re strong and the badass of the family but if you’re not in bed in ten minutes, I’ll help the doctors strap you down.”

Alex gives a watery laugh at the threat.

She waits for Kara to leave and then she cries for what she did and what she almost lost. The tears blur her vision, but she swipes at her eyes roughly when she sees Sam stirring.

“Sam,” She breathes out her name.

“Alex?” Sam’s eyebrows furrow in discomfort. “I’m cold.” There aren’t any blankets, but Sam shifts and her arm reaches out blindly to Alex. She grips her loose sweatpants and pulls her closer.

Alex climbs onto the too-small bed and her arm wraps around Sam carefully. Her head rests on Sam’s shoulder, feeling Sam’s hand softly moving over her back. It’s odd, how they’ve never held each other but it feels so _right_.

“What happened?” Sam asks after a beat.

Alex hears the dread in her voice, like she knows the answer. “We saved you.”

“Where’s Ruby?”

“Safe,” She hopes. She has no idea, but Ruby has a fierce family that would do anything to protect her so it doesn’t feel like a lie.

And when Sam starts to sob, Alex bites her lip to keep a second round of crying at bay. “I was so worried, Sam.” Their bodies are already as close as possible, but she still tries to hold her closer.

“I thought… I mean, I _killed_ you.” Alex’s voice breaks, but she swallows. “And I never…” But that conversation could wait. She shakes her head and hopes Sam _knows._

Sam hugs her harder and Alex’s ribs throb from laying on her side, but it’s okay. Alex couldn’t move if she wanted to. Sam asks, “Stay with me?”

“Yeah.” Alex promises.

She feels Sam relax. “Kiss me goodnight?”

Alex nods, heart aching knowing that they both want this and _have wanted_ this. She props up and skirts her hand from Sam’s midsection up to cup the woman’s jaw. She rubs her thumb over Sam’s cheek and leans down.

Their lips meet in a soft kiss that feels like a new beginning, but also like coming home. Sam parts her mouth and Alex matches the tender movement; it’s like an affirmation that they can brave the repercussions together.

After the gentle, long-awaited kisses leave them content, Alex settles into Sam’s side again and she feels safe for the first time in a while.

**Author's Note:**

> If you need some extra background:
> 
> Reign, Purity, and the cloaked lady kidnapped Lillian and forced her to build a battle suit. She was fine with that. She was NOT fine with Purity kidnapping Lena- hence half the city exploding in a mushroom cloud when her Kryptonite bomb goes off.


End file.
